Ten Plus One
by Saya Moonshadow
Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma. Slight spoilers for Charlie Bone and the Red Knight. Complete!
1. Attempt the First

**Wow, it's been quite a while since I wrote anything for this series. Pity, because it's pretty fun. Anyway, I'm back and hopefully you'll all like this one as well! Slight spoilers for the final book included in later chapters, too.  
**

**By the way, this was originally intended to be a long oneshot, but I decided to break it down into chapters instead. Just the way it turned out seems to fit that a bit better.  
**

**Disclaimer: Saya owns nothing. Except anything you don't recognize as canon. Which again is probably nothing. Woe is Saya.**

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 1_

_And so it begins. I am going to ask a certain someone out if it KILLS me._

_Which it had better not. Because that would suck. A lot._

_Alright. I shall approach the Sparrow after homework and make my proposal. Not that kind of proposal. You know what I mean. Shut up, journal. Should the Sparrow accept, commence with setting a place and date. Should the Sparrow decline, proceed to flee like a proud male should and hole self up for the rest of eternity._

_Right. There is no way this can go wrong._

* * *

The first time Tancred attempts to ask Emma out, it goes horribly.

He walks purposefully up to her after study hall in the King's Room, but takes one look at her face and ends up striding right on past her, practically flailing in his rush to get away before she can take note of him and guess at his intentions.

It doesn't quite work. It's fairly hard to miss someone flailing right next to you, after all, and he breaks into a sprint as she yells after him, "Tancred, what-?"

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 2_

_That went horribly. Somebody please kill me._

_Except don't, because tomorrow I have to try again. Or something._

* * *

**AN: Yes, this one was fairly short. Please bear with me, they DO get longer after this. This was kind of a warm-up attempt for Tancred, if you get my drift.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. It's mostly all written out, and I'll be updating once a week. So please look out for new chapters!**

**Review, please!**


	2. Attempt the Second

**And part two. Much, MUCH shorter than I'd like, but I think it's still acceptable. Not everything I write HAS to be super-long, I suppose...**

**Disclaimer: I'm a starving college student in desperate need of a job. Obviously I am not awesome enough to own anything.**

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

The second time, things still don't go quite as planned.

He is attempting once again to walk up to her and just blurt it out when Asa Pike appears out of freaking _nowhere_ and Emma proceeds to leap upon the redhead, effectively cutting off his oxygen and knocking him off balance at the same time because she's grabbed him around the neck and he is roughly eight inches taller than she. The result is a rather hilarious show of Asa choking, staggering, and windmilling to stay upright, and Emma refusing to let go of him despite his protests.

Finally, Asa manages to throw her off, and glares down at her while she babbles at him how happy she is to see him alive and, well, _human_, and oh my God you're BACK!

"Um, yes?"

"I am so happy to see you!"

"That's...very nice...can you go away now?"

"Why would I do that? C'mon, we have to go tell everybody that you came back! I just hope they're not all still afraid of you, you _did_ try to eat us all a few times in the past, you know, but it's all behind us now, and-"

Asa frantically searches the crowd for a familiar face - anything to save him from this crazy girl - and spots Tancred, who is silently fuming, sparks coming out of his hands.

"TORSSON!" he shouts, and Emma's head whips around so fast he's almost afraid she's going to hurt herself.

"Oh, Tancred!" she cries, running over to him. "Look who's back! Asa came back, and - um, Asa? Where'd he go? Did you see him?"

There is now no sign of the purple-caped, redheaded Changer in sight. Like all real men when faced with crazy women, it seems Asa has done the smart thing and run for his life.

"No." Tancred says shortly, and before he can do anything (like grab her, drag her off, and force her to listen to him), she has taken off again, carrying the news of the resident werewolf's return to all their friends.

"CHARLIE! Oh, Charlie, Fidelio, you'll never guess who I saw just now-"

This new development is incredibly troubling for him, and it takes a certain amount of self-control not to go looking for Asa himself and fry the Changer to a crisp.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 3_

_Mission failed. With a big, fat F._

_A new (or rather, old) enemy has entered the premises, and is currently in the process of distracting the Sparrow from her part in this ordeal. Must figure out a way to put a stop to the Wolf/Sparrow interactions as soon as possible._

_Attempt number three begins tomorrow!_

* * *

**AN: Asa makes an appearance! My general thought on the Bloors no longer owning the Academy would be that it's **_**probably**_** a little safer in the city for the Endowed in general, and if Asa ever came back, he might even be able to be considered an ally from now on. Who knows. Me, I kind of like him as a neutral party. A real "I will associate with you in a civil manner, but leave me outta this, it's YOUR problem" kind of thing.**

**Haha yeah. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	3. Attempt the Third

**Part three. Yup, yup, indeed.**

**Also, who else was VERY happy with the Tancred/Emma (even though it was kinda sparse) in **_**Red Knight**_**? Though I thought the whole Charlie/Matilda thing came out of nowhere, to be honest. Oh well. It was cute.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything...not a single gosh-darned thing. Except anything you don't recognize as canon. That just might belong to me. You never know.**

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

The third time is, if possible, even worse.

Somehow, despite Asa's return (which he claims to be only because the school now belongs to the Bones and the likelihood of another kidnapping attempt is low), things manage to stay fairly genial. The redhead has only one more year to complete, and seems to be pursuing it with a dogged intensity no one has seen out of him before.

The werewolf has also taken to ducking under or behind the nearest solid object whenever Emma comes around, probably to prevent a repeat of what happened in the hallway. It is this new tendency that lands Tancred and Emma both into detention accidentally that night.

After homework is over, Tancred lingers by the back of the long table, trying to work up the courage to approach Emma once again, when the mentioned girl turns around to say something to Olivia, who is pushing her.

Asa, who is packing his own bag about a foot to Tancred's left, reacts immediately. He leaps behind the stormbringer, but his foot catches on his backpack - apparently being gone for a few months hasn't improved his coordination any - and he ends up smacking right into Tancred's back.

For being tall and lanky, Asa is also rather strong, Tancred finds as he is suddenly sent flying forward to crash into something, which screams and they both pitch to the floor.

There is absolute silence, broken only by a few snickers.

"Oh Gawd," comes Olivia's voice to the right.

Tancred slowly opens his eyes and finds himself staring into another pair of eyes, blue ones, in fact. Very shocked and frightened blue ones.

"Oh shit." he says.

Indeed. Thanks to Asa's ill-timed (except it seems incredibly lucky to him anyway) attempt at hiding, he has managed to land right on top of the girl he has spent the last few weeks of his life agonizing over.

"Uh...I..."

And then the talking starts.

"Holy crap, is this really happening?"

"I think so, mate, just look at it!"

"Charlie, what are they doing?"

"Um, Billy, I don't think I should explain this to you just yet-"

"Oh my God, Tancred is molesting Emma!"

Whoever said that last thing should _DIE_, Tancred decides, as Dr. Saltweather comes tearing into the room, having heard the ruckus, and finds him on top of a very shocked and frightened Emma Tolly.

"TANCRED TORSSON!" the teacher shouts, and all chances of salvaging the situation go straight out the window along with Tancred's pride.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 4_

_I have been sabotaged by the Wolf. Currently awaiting Friday night detention with the Sparrow and nursing a black eye given to me by said bird, who can hit really hard despite being a girl._

_Who came up with that, by the way? Because that punch was harder than what most guys I know can do. Ow._

_A new strategy is obviously needed. Just walking up and shouting it in her face has failed now three times in a row. Perhaps flowers, if I could get them...blasted snow, it just had to go and kill off all the daffodils in the courtyard, didn't it?_

_..._

_I need more ice._

* * *

**AN: There we go. Things still aren't looking too good. Poor Tancred. It'll get better for you soon, I promise!**

**Um, yeah. Hope you all are enjoying your summer breaks, because I know I am!**

**Review, please!**


	4. Attempt the Fourth

**Early update because this one's really short. Like, micro-chapter short. Chapter five will still come Monday, regardless.**

**Disclaimer: Saya owns nothing. Saya owns nothing. Saya owns nothing. Saya owns nothing. Saya owns nothing. ****Saya owns nothing. ****Saya owns nothing. ****Saya owns nothing. ****Saya owns nothing. ...has the point sunk in yet?  
**

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

The fourth time, that Friday night, he doesn't manage to even build up to it.

"Emma-"

"I am not speaking to you."

"But why?"

"WHY, you ask? Does falling on top of me and embarrassing me in front of everyone in the King's Room ring a bell?"

"That wasn't my fault! Asa pushed me!"

"Oh sure, go blame Asa! God, the poor boy, he hasn't even back a week and already you're trying to pick a fight with him again!"

"I'm not trying to pick a fight with him, I'm just SAYING-"

"Well, don't! I'm not speaking to you right now!"

"But-"

But no. Emma clams up and turns her back on him, nose in the air.

He doesn't see her for the rest of the evening, nor the next day either. It hurts a little more than it should.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 5_

_That...did not go well._

_Damn it._

_Commence Operation: Make-Sparrow-Unmad-At-Lightning, ASAP. May require assistance from Drummer Boy and/or Picasso to pull this one off._

_Why is it that we're not allowed to set up bullseyes or at least dartboards in our rooms? I really need to vent on something right now. Stupid rules.  
_

* * *

**AN: There we go. VERY short. Originally it was about three pages longer, but it occurred to me that it would probably be more effective if Emma just snapped at him and then stomped off instead of going on some huge tirade that really was going nowhere. Aaaaaand yeah.**

**Review, please!  
**


	5. Attempt the Fifth

**Monday's update, as promised!**

**Disclaimer: ...*sob***

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

On the morning of the fifth attempt, Lysander sees fit to inform him that a scoreboard of sorts has been drawn up, and a betting pool has been started. Apparently, each time he fails to ask Emma out, ten points are docked, though points are also given or taken away for certain gestures, including his rather unseemly faceplant into her chest the week before.

Currently, his score is a total of -56 points. Besides the first forty, the other sixteen were docked for "generally being lame".

Wonderful. Four botched attempts later, and Lysander has deemed it appropriate to mock him and his lack of dating knowledge.

As for the betting pool...

"Why are you guys betting on me?"

"Hm? Oh, that. That was Gabriel's idea. We're all betting on when you'll finally get the courage to ask Emma out already. My bet's on not until you're in college."

"Gee, thanks, Lysander. It's so nice to know my best friend has so much faith in me. And how long has this been going on?"

"For a while, actually. Since you broke up with that Tracy head-case last year. After a while, though, we went from betting on IF you would hook up to WHEN."

"You people have no lives. At all."

"We're kind of stuck in boarding school, mate. It's one of the downsides of that."

"Bah, maybe for you. But as for me, I-"

"Oh hey look, it's Emma! Is she still mad at you, by the way? You should go talk to her; she can't STILL be mad, can she?"

"..."

"OK, that was the most evil glare I've ever seen in my life. Yeah, leave her alone for a while. And minus ten points, by the way."

"What? Why another ten? I didn't even do anything!"

"But you were planning to, right? Yeah, see, I know you, Tanc. And since this counts as another failed attempt, you've just lost another ten points. So you better hurry up and ask her already, or you'll be in the negative thousands before Christmas."

"I hate you. More than I have ever hated anything else."

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 6_

_Drummer Boy is utterly useless. Must now seek assistance from Picasso and/or Violina if Operation: Make-Sparrow-Unmad-At-Lightning is to proceed._

_And my score for this whole process is kind of awful. Wow. Nice to know my friends like keeping track of all the things I screw up on._

_Recommendation: seek retribution on Evil Witch Girl, Wolf, and Drummer Boy for having no faith in me or my abilities when it comes to asking girls out._

_Second recommendation: give Beastmaster a high-five for refusing to conform._

_Third recommendation: re-evaluate priorities and the merits of talking to oneself via diary. I mean journal. Yeah._

* * *

_**The Official When-Tancred-Will-Man-Up-Enough-To-Ask-Emma-Out Betting Pool**_

_**(Must put in at least ten pounds)**_

_Bloor, Naren: By Thanksgiving_

_Bone, Charlie: By the end of the schoolyear, probably on the last day of school_

_Brown, Benjamin: Next Valentine's Day, probably_

_Endless, Dagbert: Summer_

_Gunn, Fidelio: End of the semester, tops_

_Loom, Dorcas: Never, do you honestly think he's man enough to do that?_

_Pike, Asa: Three years from now at the earliest_

_Raven, Billy: I told you I wasn't participating in this, Gabriel!_

_Sage, Lysander: When they're in college_

_Silk, Gabriel: By Christmas_

_Vertigo, Olivia: Sometime within the next hundred years - SO HA NO MATTER WHEN THEY DO IT, I STILL WIN. HA. HA. HAAAA._

_**Still open to any others that want to take a chance and throw in a wager!**_

* * *

_**The Official Scoreboard for Tancred's Progress**_

_Walking up to her: +1  
Walking past her: -1  
Running from her: -5  
Flailing to get away: -3__  
Failing to ask her out: -10  
Current total: -18_

_Walking up to her: +1  
__Losing her interest before it's even been grabbed: -4__  
Losing said interest to Asa: -3__  
Not attempting to re-grab said interest: -5__  
Failing to ask her out: -10  
Current total: -29_

_Faceplanting into her chest: +8  
Stuttering: -2__  
Getting punched: -5__  
Failing to ask her out: -10  
Current total: -38_

_Not getting a word in edgewise: -4__  
Refusing to make her listen: -4__  
Failing to ask her out: -10  
Current total: -56_

_Cowering under her glare: -2__  
Using Lysander as a shield: -2__  
Giving her some space: +2  
__Failing to ask her out: -10  
Current total: -68_

_Assessment:__ Tancred Torsson is horribly challenged when it comes to the wooing of girls and likely has no bloody idea what he's doing. Immediate action to rectify the situation recommended._

* * *

**AN: There we go. I had fun writing the Scoreboard thing.**

**Anyway, hope you all are doing well and enjoying what's left of the summer before school starts up again!**

**Review, please!**


	6. Attempt the Sixth

**Oh Lord. My sincere apologies for this one being three days late, guys, but real life decided to tackle me and only just let me up. Plus, my little cousin is going away to college next Tuesday, and I've been helping out with that. It's amazing just how much crap there is still to pack...Jeebus Cripes.**

**Disclaimer: NEIN!**

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

By the sixth attempt, she has decided to forgive him by some miracle, and will now smile at him again. This is a relief. Emma has one heck of a scary glare, one that he hopes will never be thrown in his direction ever again.

They manage to have a decent conversation during lunch, about his sculptures compared to her drawings, and somehow it turns into a debate on if he can produce a decent drawing and if she can produce a decent sculpture.

The answer is most likely no, for both sides, but neither is willing to admit that.

Tancred takes the challenge like he does every other challenge in his life: with enthusiasm and the attitude of someone who isn't quite used to losing.

How hard can realism be? Honestly. If Emma can do it, then he can too, no questions asked.

Excepting the fact that it's a bit harder than he had originally thought, and Asa Pike is in absolute hysterics upon glancing over his shoulder that night during homework and seeing a drawing of what Tancred informs him is supposed to be a fish. As the werewolf so _nicely_ points out, it looks more like a deformed can of beans than anything remotely resembling a fish.

"What is THAT?"

"That would be a fish. You know, those things that swim around in water and go 'glub-glub' all day long?"

"A fish? That's not a fish. That's a can of beans."

"Since when does a can of beans have fins?"

"Pffft! Yeah, those 'fins' make it look more like it's just had a run-in with a can opener and lost."

Tancred is very much not responsible for the miniature bolt of lightning that nearly strikes Asa a moment later. Not in the least.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 7_

_Operation: Make-Sparrow-Unmad-At-Lightning was a success!_

_Even though I'm not quite sure what made her decide to forgive me all of a sudden. Girls have no logic whatsoever._

_The Wolf's attempt at sabotaging the greater mission has also been foiled (!), and no detention has been given. All systems are go._

_Recommendation: get tips from Drama Queen about the Sparrow._

_Second recommendation: disregard that if any amount of dignity is to be kept._

_And before I forget, note to self: find some way to grab Drummer Boy's scoreboard and the Psychic's betting pool thing and BURN THEM TO THE GROUND._

* * *

_**The Official Scoreboard for Tancred's Progress (cont.)**_

_Getting back into her good graces: +9  
Talking without stuttering: +3  
Holding a decent conversation: +6  
Sucking at drawing: -3  
Nearly electrocuting the perceived competition: ...null  
Failing to ask her out: -10  
Current total: -63_

_Assessment:__ Alright, so he's getting there. That's a slight improvement over previous attempts. Progress has finally been made! Intervention still recommended, though._

* * *

**AN: There we have it! Progress has been made, although admittedly not too much. Eventually **_**something**_** will get done.**

**Review, please!**


	7. Attempt the Seventh

**Hoooooly crap, it has been quite a while. And I am SO sorry, you guys. Really. Life has been hectic. But here we are, and the weekly updates start again!**

**Disclaimer: Miss Nimmo is currently in the process of ignoring my bribes, so I still can't say I own anything in here. Bah.**

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

The seventh time, he is too busy laughing to really talk.

Yes, his drawing of a fish is horrible, but it's nothing compared to Emma's attempt at sculpting.

He can't even tell what that thing is supposed to be. Or anything about it, really; it mostly just seems to be a random jumble of clay...hey, that looks like an eye...

He had come to the art room, intending to show her his drawing, tell her to get her laughing done and while she's at it, she should totally go with him to see a movie this weekend, but obviously, that doesn't happen.

It's hard to ask someone out while nearly dying of laughter, after all.

Emma punches him in the chest and stalks off as regally as possible, her nose in the air again. At least she didn't yell at him this time, and he makes sure to leave his drawing of the fish next to her sculpture so that when she comes back to it later, she can see that his attempt is laugh-worthy too.

Perhaps even more so than hers, if he is to be completely honest with himself.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 8_

_That could have gone better. And once again, my score has dropped. Damn it, people, mind your own business! My affairs have nothing to do with any of you!_

_Obviously my only option is to keep trying, otherwise I'll have wasted all this effort on nothing. And I'm being bribed by certain people to complete the mission at a certain time so that they may win the bet. This will not happen. I will accomplish this at my OWN pace and no one else's._

_Bah. Cheaters._

_She had BETTER appreciate just what I go through for her._

* * *

_**The Official Scoreboard for Tancred's Progress (cont.)**_

_Participating in a friendly competition: +3  
Intending to make her laugh: +5  
Intending to build proposal from said laughter: +3  
Ending up laughing at her instead of the other way around: -7  
Getting punched (again): -5  
Failing to ask her out: -10  
Current total: -74_

_Assessment:__ ...did I say he was making progress? Disregard that. He is obviously even more dating-challenged than any of us had ever suspected. Seriously._

* * *

_Lightning,_

_The way to a girl's heart is not laughing like a maniac at her attempts to impress you. You might want to rethink your game plan a bit there._

_Just a friendly reminder._

_Sincerely,_

_Drummer Boy_

_P.S.: By the way, interesting nicknames you came up with for all of us in your "Battle Journal" thing. But honestly, you couldn't come up with anything more original than "Evil Witch Girl" for Dorcas? Though I must admit Billy being "The Beastmaster" is actually pretty cool. But still. You're lame._

* * *

**AN: Oh, Tancred. That wasn't very nice.**

**By the way, this is kind of my response to how most fics I've seen all make Tancred this...I dunno, kind of suave, ladies' man type guy, particularly when it comes to how popular he is with fancharacters. I don't see him that way, like, AT ALL. Everything in canon seemed to suggest him being a popular guy, yeah, but really fairly clueless when it came to the actual getting-together-with-the-girl-you-actually-like part.**

**Anyway, please review and tell me what you think!**


	8. Attempt the Eighth

**...uh, hi? Yes, yes, I know this is horribly late. To be honest, I almost completely forgot about this fic. Real life and some other stuff took over. But it WILL get finished, I promise.**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing except the plot for this fic *grumble***

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Bahamut PURE**

The eighth time, Tancred is beginning to get slightly desperate. Several weeks have passed by now, and virtually no progress has been made. Though she indeed did laugh at his drawing when she finally saw it and thus forgave him by his rather unconventional apology, nothing has really been done.

He is beginning to wonder if he's doing the right thing. Surely Emma must have noticed how he feels by now, right? He knows he's a horrible actor, largely because of how much he tends to act on instinct. If he feels something, he expresses it, and if he doesn't then his endowment does it for him.

Is it really possible at this point that she is still in the dark about the way he feels about her? Perhaps...and then again, Charlie has no idea about Olivia's feelings for him, despite the fact that it is only blatantly obvious. Maybe Emma's just as clueless as Charlie is, though that seems to be a bit of a stretch.

And whenever he sees Emma, sparks tend to fly - literally. That night in the King's Room, he sets Charlie's cape on fire when one of them flies out of his right index finger and lands on the aforementioned cape. It takes one hell of an apology, Dagbert's unique brand of "helping", and the near-asphyxiation of them all due to said "helping" before that one is resolved.

And even then, he is now stuck buying Charlie a new cape to replace the damaged one.

Not cool. He almost dies when he realizes Emma is staring right at him in shock. "It was an accident!" he cries for what feels like the millionth time, waving his arms. A breeze whips through the room, sending papers, pencils, pens, and other things flying, and another bout of uproar occurs.

"Yes, Tanc, we get it!" Lysander shouts, grabbing at his papers before he loses them, and Tancred decides it's time he pulled an Asa and ducks under the table for the rest of the evening.

He is still there when everyone else begins to file out, Olivia literally dragging a near-catatonic Charlie by the arm, and something is suddenly poking him in the head. He turns around to snap at whoever it is that _DARES_ to poke him when he's already feeling this mad, and stops in his tracks.

"Tanc? Are you OK?" Emma asks, and he shuts his mouth with a snap and nods mutely.

She smiles and holds a hand out for him to take and pull himself up with. "That's good then. Come on, they're gonna come by and lock the doors soon."

He takes her hand, and somehow manages to not set her on fire like he did to Charlie. She pulls him up, and he is completely tongue-tied as she basically forces him to walk her back to her dorm.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 9_

_There are no words._

_Except that I have been branded a dangerous pyromaniac by my peers, Picasso is going to need therapy, and the Sparrow likely thinks I'm an idiot._

_Damage control required. Seriously._

* * *

_**The Official Scoreboard for Tancred's Progress (cont.)**_

_Setting Charlie on fire: -6  
Embarrassing self in front of Emma: -8  
Hiding like a little girl: -5  
Holding hands with Emma: +8  
Walking Emma back to her dorm: +9  
Being speechless: -2  
Failing to ask her out: -10  
Current total: -88_

_Assessment:__ Tancred fails Dating 101 forever. Seriously, accidentally setting somebody on FIRE because you're nervous? Who does that?_

* * *

**AN: Not quite, Tancred, not quite...but we're getting close to the end! WILL HE SUCCEED OR NOT.**

**And of course I had to include some Charlie/Olivia in there, for they are my favorite CotRK pair. At some point I'll have to write another thing about them.**

**Review and tell me what you think!**


	9. Attempt the Ninth

**Yo. Once again, it has been a while. Bahamut is apologetic. I lost the original document and had a minor freak-out about it, along with a hissy fit where I swore never to write anything **_**Charlie Bone**_**-related again, but lucky for me I still had the rough draft written in my notebook in between my geology notes and a (horrible) drawing of Darth Vader riding a T-rex. Thank God.**

**Disclaimer: Bahamut PURE owns nothing. Jenny Nimmo owns it all.**

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Bahamut PURE**

The ninth attempt doesn't go as awry (for which he is incredibly thankful), but he doesn't think she quite understood what he meant when he asked her if she wanted to see a movie that next Saturday.

For one thing, she didn't blush, but instead just grinned and asked him what he wanted to see, and then he was forced to admit that he really didn't know what was out at that time.

She laughed and told him it didn't matter; she would call him Friday night with a list of movies and playtimes, and they'd go from there.

It's further ruined by their friends overhearing their plans and deciding to make a day of it. So now instead of just Tancred and Emma, it's also Charlie, Olivia, Gabriel, Fidelio, Billy, and Lysander. Emma will be making a lot of phone calls come Friday night.

So close.

SO. CLOSE.

Life is very unfair sometimes.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 10_

_Mission failed once again. I don't even want to know my score right now. God. WHY._

_OK. We can work with this. It'll be a stretch, but possibly. Maybe. I hope. Please._

_Is it even possible to have a date when six other people are tagging along?_

_The answer: no._

_(You are all horrible friends, by the way, Drummer Boy, since I know you steal this thing and read it when you're bored. CAN'T YOU SEE I AM TRYING TO MAKE A MOVE HERE?)_

_Recommendation: get through this and try YET AGAIN._

* * *

_**The Official Scoreboard for Tancred's Progress (cont.)**_

_Stuttering: -2  
__Asking her to go to a movie: +15  
__Allowing friends to tag along on movie outing: ...null  
__Failing to ask her out FOR REAL: -10  
__Current score: -85_

_Assessment:__ Nope. Still a horrible failure._

* * *

_**Betting Pool Reminder!**_

_Naren will be out of the bet if Tancred doesn't get it into gear soon; Thanksgiving's almost here. Better cross your fingers, Naren!_

* * *

**AN: I kind of feel bad for Tancred. He tries, he really does. And he's a lot of fun to write for some reason...**

**Only two more chapters to go!**

**Review, please!**


	10. Attempt the Tenth

**Yes, I take forever. And I'm very sorry. This has been finished for God only knows how long, and so here it is. The next (and final!) chapter will be posted next week without fail, and **_**Ten Plus One**_** will be officially finished.**

**Disclaimer: ...*sigh***

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

The tenth time he tries to get her to just go out with him already, it is almost the end of the semester. Christmas is only three weeks away, and he has yet to do anything productive. It's aggravating to think about, if he is to be perfectly honest with himself.

Nine attempts later, and he STILL hasn't managed it. That has to be a record or something. Surely no other male in the history of males has ever failed at asking their object of affections out nine (perhaps soon to be ten) times in a row.

Therefore, he is not expecting it when Emma drags him out to the ruins during the morning run, nor is he quite sure what to make of the pink tint on her cheeks. Is she blushing? Or is she just cold? Judging by the way she's shivering from the snow that's falling, it's fairly safe to assume she's just cold.

Yet another false alarm. Joy.

She's carrying something wrapped in tissue paper under one arm, but try as he might, Tancred can't quite make out what it is. The suspense is driving him crazy. Obviously she wants to show it to him, probably to get his feedback, but for some reason, it seems a lot more important than that.

Probably just more wishful thinking, he knows, but he can hope.

God, he can hope.

When they get to the ruins, Emma drops his arm and whips the tissue paper off of her mysterious package to reveal a small sculpture. Tancred stares at it, resting in her small hands for a moment, before it hits him what is it.

A storm cloud - a thunderhead to be exact, and it's even got tiny lightning bolts coming out at odd angles. It's not the best sculpture in the world, but at least he can tell what this one is supposed to be.

"So?" she asks. "Is this one better?"

In other words, _"You're not going to laugh again, are you?"_

He swallows, throat suddenly dry. "It - it's a lot better, actually. Is this new?"

Emma nods, pleased with his assessment. "Yup! I've been working hard to make it ever since that first one you saw a few months ago."

How oddly touching that she made a storm cloud sculpture just because he had laughed at her first attempt at the art. And how strange that she refuses to tell him what the first one was supposed to be.

He is so wrapped up with trying to get her to tell him, he completely forgets about his original purpose, and by the time the hunting horn sounds they are arguing good-naturedly about friends who keep secrets.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 11_

_Mission still not accomplished. Drummer Boy, Picasso, and the others completely fail at helping, and I refuse to discuss opportunities with the Sparrow in front of them for fear of a repeat of LAST time._

_The Sparrow appears to have been working on her sculpting skills over the past months, if her words (and sculptures) are to be believed. Is there some hidden meaning behind this, or is she just trying to show that she can do it?_

_Why are girls so bloody hard to figure out?! Drama Queen is nowhere near this bad. Picasso is lucky. Or he WOULD be, if he would open his eyes long enough to SEE that he is lucky._

_Eleventh time's the charm. Seriously starting to lose confidence here._

* * *

_**The Official Scoreboard for Tancred's Progress (cont.)**_

_Going off alone with her: +8  
Inspiring her to do new things: +7  
Reminding her about her sculpting failures: -5  
Forgetting to ask her out: -10  
Current score: -85_

_Assessment:__ Score remains unchanged, with no foreseeable developments. Sigh._

* * *

_**Betting Pool Reminder!**_

_Fidelio and Gabriel, you're going to be out of the running soon too if things don't start shaping up. Maybe beating him over the head with a violin or sicking a gerbil on him will help speed things along?_

* * *

**AN: Tancred has such nice friends. Lol. Lysander is the one writing up the scoreboard, assessment, and betting pool reminders, because it is his solemn duty as Tancred's best friend to harass him when he fails so badly at things like this. He's helped by Gabriel, who I like to imagine has a very snarky inner voice that only makes very rare outward appearances, but when it does show up, everyone around him is left speechless.**

**(Also a bit of Charlie/Olivia because it's my favorite pairing for this series and heaven knows there's not enough of it around here.)**

**Next chapter is also the final one, so please watch out for it next week! Thank you all so much for your support!**


	11. Mission Accomplished

**And so here the last chapter is! Finally! Sorry for taking longer than expected; as I stated previously in the Updates section on my profile, my boss has recently given me a list of over 2,500 parts to fix in our computer system, using a rather long process to do so. Put together with the fact that we're coming into the busiest portion of the year and a lot of family nonsense, I haven't had much time for the last few weeks. This is pretty much the first day I've had just to myself since this month began, so I decided to make it count and finish this up.**

**Disclaimer: Still nope. Sadly.**

**Summary: Whoever said "the third time's the charm" clearly didn't know how to count. TancredEmma.**

**Ten Plus One  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

"Go out with me."

Previously, the King's Room had been dead silent except for the usual sounds of homework being done, along with studying for the end-of-semester finals that will begin the next morning. It takes Tancred a full twenty seconds to register that not only has someone spoken, but that this someone is Emma and that she is looking at him. He glances from side to side - Dagbert on his left and Lysander on his right - to make sure she's not actually looking at one of them and that her gaze on him isn't just a product of his affection-deprived imagination.

And then her words hit him with all the force and grace of a runaway train.

He is shocked - literally.

"Tanc!" Lysander snaps as his hands begin to spark (Charlie gives a decidedly high-pitched yelp and dives under the table - Olivia looks like she's torn between laughter and sympathy, and eventually just does both).

Tancred manages to get his endowment under control at the last second, and Lysander's and Dagbert's capes are spared the fate that Charlie's suffered through previously.

Emma is sitting across the table from him, still staring at him, and all he's capable of doing right now is gaping at her with his mouth open like some kind of low-intelligence fish. He knows this because Dagbert is kind enough to point it out to him, but he barely hears the drowner's words because Emma's voice is roaring through his brain, repeating the same thing over and over again.

"_Go out with me."_

"_Go out with me."_

"_Go out with me."_

"_Go out with me."_

"_GO OUT WITH ME!"_

"What?" he asks eloquently.

The fish analogy actually kind of works here, he finds himself thinking almost hysterically - see, he's the helpless guppy, and Emma is the freaking great white shark who is about to eat him.

She's glaring at him now, cheeks red and eyes surprisingly...shiny-looking. Wait, no, those are tears gathering in her eyes.

Tancred then realizes that instead of answering her, he's been gazing at her like he's _terrified_ of her, and that she has naturally drawn her own conclusions about what such a gaze actually means.

Whereas he is actually just shocked that she would ever say such a thing to him so easily when he's been working on saying the exact same thing to her for the last several months now, she has taken his look and silence to mean that he's actually horrified at the prospect of going out with her. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

A sharp pain erupts in his shin as someone kicks it, but neither this nor Asa's hissed, "Answer her, you idiot!" can bring him to take his eyes off of Emma, who pushes her chair back and stands up, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"OK, then," she says, her voice cold but also high in the way of someone who is on the verge of crying, "I see. Thanks for your consideration, anyway."

She gathers up her books and pens, and the door is shutting behind her before Tancred is capable of any sort of movement. He swears loudly - Billy looks shocked, and Gabriel has already clapped his hands over the younger boy's ears - and runs out after her, completely leaving his own things sitting right there on the table. Lysander will take care of it for him, he knows, but right now there is something much more important than a few expensive textbooks and studying.

That something is marching determinedly towards the girls' dormitory, and he can hear her quiet sniffling as she goes. A full-on sob comes next, and he increases his speed.

"E-Emma!" he shouts, but she merely goes faster. He curses again; if she gets to the girls' dorm, then he won't be able to follow her without potentially serious repercussion - the school is surprisingly anal about both genders staying out of each other's respective living spaces. Understandable, he knows, but right now he really does _not_ have the time for stupid rules and this will be worth a hundred detentions, and he knows he will regret it if he does not follow her right now.

Luck is apparently on his side, however, because his legs are much longer than hers, and he also has the wind on his side. As she tears open the door to the girls' dorm, a blast of wind is waiting for her, and she falls backwards with a shriek as it surges into her.

Tancred is waiting there to catch her.

"I'm sorry," he says as she struggles against him, shouting at him to let her go and be miserable in peace. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm an idiot."

Emma lets out a hysterical half-sob, half-laugh. "I _know_ that!"

She stops fighting and slumps backwards against him, and he has to take a moment to realize how good it feels to have her do so - the contact is much more pleasant than he could have imagined. Tracy had _never_ managed to elicit this kind of happiness from him, even during the highest point of his infatuation with her.

Emma allows him to hold her for a few minutes, but then she starts trying to stand on her own feet again. Trying to get away from him, really, and so he tightens his hold and does not let her go.

"Tancred, let go of me," she says, voice thick with tears. It hurts him to hear that, and he desperately rushes for anything to say that will make her own hurting go away. "It's OK, you don't have to pretend just to make me feel better-"

"I'M NOT PRETENDING!" he shouts in her ear, then winces when she does. _Smooth, Torsson. Real smooth. Let's make her go deaf on top of all this other nonsense!_

"I'm - I'm _not_ pretending," he says again, but much quieter this time. Emma has frozen up in his arms, and he really doesn't know if this is a good or bad thing, but decides that it can't hurt to finish what he needs to say. "I was just shocked. I've been trying to figure out a way to ask you out for, like, ever now, and then you just came out and said it so _easily_, and I was just shocked, and I'm an idiot and-"

"It wasn't _easy!_" she corrects him. "I-I had to prepare myself for it too!"

In other words, they have apparently both been psyching themselves up for something that they should have just come out and said in the first place. The irony of it all is amazing.

She turns in his arms suddenly, and her arms lock around his waist in a vice grip that he doesn't actually have any problems with, even when she hugs him so tightly that he has a split second problem with breathing. If it means she will hug him whenever either of them wants, he will put up with any amount of too-tight holds from her.

He rests his chin on top of her head as she buries her face in his chest, and sighs deeply. It's difficult for him to say just how much he likes this girl, really - even to her, though he knows he will have to if he wants to keep her around. Which he does, very much.

"I accept," he says quietly, and she makes that half-sob, half-laugh sound again. "Want to go to a movie on Saturday? Just you and me?"

She nods against his chest, and even though his shirt and cape are now damp thanks to her tears, he does not care. He doesn't care that he was not the one to ask her out, even if he's definitely going to come in for some teasing about it later.

He vaguely realizes that this means that Fidelio (and maybe Olivia, by virtue of her very broad time frame) has won the betting pool and will be taking home a substantial amount of money, but even the amusement this thought brings pales in comparison to the feeling he has now.

When they return to the King's Room, Emma with slightly red eyes and a smile and Tancred with a megawatt grin, they are holding hands.

* * *

_Battle Journal, Entry No. 12_

_Mission success._

_Sort of._

_Does it still count if Sparrow was the one to do the asking-out rather than me?_

_...I don't care! Operation: Get-Sparrow-To-Go-Out-With-Lightning was a success, and I am happier than I've ever been!_

_So yes, mission success._

_New mission time. Operation: Keep-Sparrow-Forever now commencing._

* * *

_**The Official Scoreboard for Tancred's Progress (cont.)**_

_Emma making the first move: -5  
Staring at her like some kind of stupid fish (thanks to Dagbert for the visual, we really needed that): -10  
Making her cry: -10  
Going after her immediately: +20  
Making things clear: +10  
Accepting her proposal: +1,000  
Current score: 920_

_Assessment:__ I think I speak for all of us when I say FINALLY DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN AGONIZING OVER THIS? Seriously, Tancred, I was worried there for a while, but you pulled through like a man, and look what happened!_

_Ya done good, Tanc. Ya done good._

* * *

_**Betting Pool Reminder!**_

_Fidelio is the official winner of the bet, as the end of the semester is literally less than a week away! Congrats, Fido, you win money, and you didn't even have to break a violin over his head!_

* * *

**END.**

* * *

**AN: And so it ends! I'm sure some of you are rolling your eyes at the fact that it was Emma and not Tancred who did the actual asking-out thing, but, well, that's kind of how I've always imagined it for some reason. *****shrugs*******

**Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, or even just looked at this story!**


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